DX EXPLORER

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

One of my new-found DX addiction is listening to radio broadcasts via web based Software Defined Radios (WebSDRs). For those of us who entered this magical world of DXing by manually turning the knobs of analog radios, SDRs are nothing short of Aladdin's Magic Lamp! I remember the first time when I actually operated an SDR during ADXL DXpedition 2014, I was simply awestruck! The ease of tuning along with the real-time feed of the station signals appearing in waterfall view on the SDR user interface screen mesmerized my senses! Online (Web-based) SDRs are even more thrilling! The sheer excitement of operating a WebSDR located thousands of kilometers away, right from the comfort of my home and listening to low powered radio stations that are practically impossible to hear from my QTH was something unimaginable even a few years back.

Now SDRs are just a click away! Hence, once I started tuning SDRs I never got tired, and the thrill continues. Nowadays, (almost every other day) I tune into pirate radio and free radio stations operating with very low power in Europe via WebSDRs located in different countries of Europe. I love the variety of programming, the music, the 'accented' presentation, the local commercials and the colorful QSLs/ eQSLs of these free radio stations. Puritans might say that QSLing a radio station using WebSDR isn't fit to be counted among laurels. I agree, but then WebSDRs provide refreshment to my ever-hungry DX soul, enabling me to relish slices of exotic entertainment, in our present era of dwindling 'powerhouse' broadcasters.

Radio Orion 2000 logged via Twente SDR

With the onset of A16 broadcast season a plethora of (low powered)pirates/ free radio stations seemed to have emerged in Europe and I have been listening to a lot of these stations every weekend. My recent log of Radio Orion 2000 was quite by chance! I followed up the live blog of a fellow radio aficionado and tuned in to Radio Orion 2000's broadcast on 6940 KHz between 1720-1735 UTC ON April 29, 2016 via Twente WebSDR. A musical program was heard with both German and English songs being played. Prominent IDs in German “Radyo Orion Zweitausend” and in English was heard. Reception quality was overall Average to Fair. Reception suffered from noise (probably QRM from electrical gadget / power source at remote receiver QTH) vicinity. Except this QRM audio stream was flawless with NO breakups in audio feed. A reception report was mailed on May 2nd and eQSL verification was received on May 3rd from Commander Cliff Allister McLane of Radio Orion 2000. Their contact email id is <radioorion2000@gmail.com> .

Monday, May 9, 2016

In early March, I have received a package from HCJB Deutsch – Neuesleben (New Life) in
Germany. Inside was a view card, station material (promotional), ‘donate us’
form, the gospel of Luke, HCJB newsletter for January 2016 and most importantly a QSL Verification
Letter addressed to me and signed by Mark-Thorsten Wardein (Editor in Chief) of
HCJB Deutsch – Neuesleben. The QSL verified my reception report of their
broadcast dated 12 Dec 2015 on 3995 KHz from Weenermoor heard via Twente SDR.

HCJB Deutschland
transmission from Weenermoor started from June 2012 and this was the first
occasion that I happened to QSL this station. Besides producing a German (Neuesleben) and
Spanish radio program (Radio Amigos), they give their programs to 40 FM stations in Germany, Latin-America,
Spain and USA.

Here’s a link to an article on HCJB Weenermoor with glimpses of
the transmitter centre and antennas (by the way it’s written in German!) Click
HERE

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Reach Beyond Australia is a prompt
verifier of reception reports. Thanks to the untiring efforts of Shelley
Martin, Listener Correspondent for Reach Beyond Australia, listeners across the
globe can get access to updated broadcast schedule of Reach Beyond at the onset
of every broadcasting season, and she also responds ‘real fast’ be it on Facebook
or via emails. At the onset of A16 broadcast season I was monitoring Reach Beyond’s
frequencies (as I often do twice every year after seasonal frequency changes in
March and October), only this time I happen to note that I haven’t heard their Rawang
broadcast anytime before, although it’s been around for quite a few years now.
Rawang (as per Wikipedia
entry) is a Sino-Tibetan language of India and Burma with over 63,000 native
speakers. On 14th April (which happened
to be Bengal New Years day and hence a state holiday) I made fruitful use of my
leisure and tuned in to Reach Beyond Australia’s Rawang broadcast on 15575 KHz
between 1145-1200 UTC. Programming consisted of gospel talk and religious hymns
and music. Reception at my QTH in Kolkata on my portable Tecsun PL310 was SIO
454.

Nowadays with the availability of web SDRs (Software Defined Radio) it has become easier for DXers to monitor local/global listening conditions, signals strength, propagation of broadcasts from around the world. I tuned in to WebSDR at Twente, Nederlands to compare listening conditions of Reach Beyond’s Rawang broadcast in Europe with that audible over my Tecsun radio at my QTH. Promisingly, the signal from Kununurra was moderate to fair in the Nederlands. A detailed reception report was mailed to Shelley Martin with a video file of the broadcast and screenshots of web SDR. In just over 3 days I received a nice acknowledgement with E-QSL verifying my report. Indigenous (Aboriginal)Australian Art is featured on the full data verification e-card.

E-QSL from Reach Beyond Australia

Reach Beyond Australia monitored via Web SDR @ Twente, Nederlands

Reach Beyond Australia, Rawang Service as received in Kolkata, Apr 14, 2016

HCJB Australia Vintage E-QSL (2004)

I have been listening to Reach
Beyond from the days when the station started broadcasting to Asia-Pacific
region as HCJB Australia which was later changed to HCJB Global Voice. It’s
been a long journey of over 12 years! I feel happy to see that in spite of changes
in the policy of the parent organization they have stuck to shortwave and still
going strong! May the Lord bless them infinitely to carry on their humanitarian
mission in the decades to come and may we (the radio lovers) remain ever happy
listening to Reach Beyond Australia on shortwave transmitting across the ether
from the Great Southland!

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Marconi Radio International (MRI) broadcasting
from Italy was heard broadcasting on 7790 KHz in USB mode with just 100 watts
power on 2nd April, 2016, between 1445 -1500 UTC via remote SDR in
Rimini, Italy. Location of listening was my QTH Kolkata, India. The Program Host was heard talking in Italian on various
topics. DX related information was shared with listeners. MX (music) was heard
in the background. A listener based in Potomac in Maryland, USA was mentioned
in the show.

A DX reception report was read out with “SINPO uno quarto tre quarto uno” or SINPO 14341. At 1458
UTC Station ID in Italian followed by Station announcement in English “This is
Marconi Radio International…” by Male (OM) announcer. A reception report was
mailed to marconiradiointernational@gmail.com
on the next day. A full data Electronic QSL Verification from Marconi Radio International (MRI)
was received on April 25, 2016 along with ‘History of MRI’ & ‘MRI
Newsletter’ PDFs.

Here’s a synopsis of verification email received from Marconi Radio International (MRI) -

“Thank you for your reception
report about one of the first transmissions of Marconi Radio
International on 7 MHz carried over a new transmitter capable of tuning
between 3 and 30 MHz Our full data electronic QSL verification is
enclosed. We are a small free radio station broadcasting from the Italy
which, after 15 years of dormancy, returned back to the airwaves on 15 August
2015. MRI began its short wave transmissions on 4January
1986 and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Until a few weeks
ago our test broadcasts were aired on our historic frequency of 11390
kHz with a power in the region of 30 watts. On 21 March 2016 a
new transmitter was added and, for the first time in our history, a test was
made outside the 11 MHz band. We used the frequency of 7700 kHz (USB mode)
which gave good reception in Europe. The station was also heard in Newfoundland
(Canada). As from3 May 2016MRI will start a regular service on
Wednesdays, from 18 hrs to 19 hrs UTC, 20
hrs to 21 hrs UTC, and 22 hrs to 23 hrs
UTC on 7690 kHz USB mode (alternative frequencies: 7700
and 7790 kHz) with a power of 100
watts. Additional broadcasts may also be aired during week-end. When this
occurs a circular message with details about days, times and frequencies of
these transmissions will be sent in advance to short-wave community
and listeners in our mailing list…We hope to extend the duration of our
broadcasts in the near future and also to increase power. We also plan to send
in printed QSL cards by snail-mail but only to some lucky listeners. That’s why
it’s vital to let us have your postal (street or P.O. box) address. Unlike a number of free
radios from Northern of Europe we know what a QSL is and our verifications will
always come with all
details about reception of MRI.

Last but not least, we need your help! If
you use social networks, please post an announcement on Facebook about
MRI. You can also forward this message to a friend. This should help
increase our potential audience. We would be glad to hear from you
again.Yours sincerely, Marconi Radio International (MRI).”

Saturday, September 19, 2015

"The Mighty KBC is a European shortwave station that blasts out rock n’ roll oldies and classic rock to truckers across the continent."

On June 28, 2015 at 00:15 Hrs UTC I logged The Mighty KBC on 9925 kHz (SIO 232) with station id in English “we're The Mighty KBC” by male (OM) announcer from my QTH in Kolkata, India using Tecsun PL 310 receiver and the standard telescopic rod antenna attached with the RX. English pop and rock ’n’ roll oldies from 50’s-60’s era were played in the musical program with multiple station IDs, RJ mentions & commercials and jingles in between.

I was lucky enough to know about the date and time of the SW transmission from their Facebook wall post, the day before. I tried my luck and guess what I heard them for the very first time! It was raining since early morning. I was apprehensive yet as it turned out The Mighty KBC signal from Nauen was audible at my QTH. The transmission was heard till 00.36 Hrs UTC.

Reception report was emailed on the same day to > themightykbc@gmail.comWithin an hour of emailing the report, I received an eQSL reply (electronic verification) from Eric van Willegen.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Hobart Radio International is a shortwave community service
relayed across Europe, North America, South America and New Zealand and
features the DX Extra and The Buzz shows! They are known as ‘The Voice for
Tasmania’ among DXers and radio listeners the world over. They refer themselves
as a radio station that’s “crossing the borders since 2004, telling the unknown
and investigating on what's important.”

I logged Hobart Radio International for the first time on 25.07.2015
(July 25, 2015) on 6070 kHz (via Channel 292) at 16:00 UTC - 16:30 UTC from my
home in Kolkata, India via WebSDR at Univ of Twente, the Nederlands. I liked
the unique mix of music, talk, comedy and DX news in their weekly show ‘The
Buzz’. Reception report with audio clip of the recording was mailed
to hriradio@gmail.com on
Aug 01, 2015.

Rob Wise from Hobart Radio
International replied with a full data eQSL on Aug 08, 2015 appreciating the
effort and inviting me to listen to future shows and write to him again. The ‘DX
Extra’ Show “which is about the shortwave and radio hobby featuring news,
reviews, pirate radio and anything in-between” which airs from Hobart Radio
International is one of the last remaining DX shows on the airwaves. I personally
like their format and content. To know more about the station or to listen to
their archived programs online visit: http://www.hriradio.org

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Program
broadcast was recently verified from Kolkata, India. The half hour Tibetan
programme from Gaweylon was heard on 4 July, 2015 between 12-1230 UTC, on 15215
kHz in the 19 meter band, relayed via FEBA using 250kW transmitter at Dhabbaya,
UAE (Babcock facility). SINPO for the
broadcast was 43433 at my QTH in Kolkata, West Bengal, India using RX Tecsun
PL660 with its extended telescopic whip antenna. The magazine program consisted
of traditional and modern Tibetan music and songs, including health and general
knowledge features.

A reception report along with a five minutes recording of the audio was mailed to their email id on the next day. An
email reply was received within a couple of hours from Mr. Anil Alfred
(Director) Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Programme thanking my effort and promising a
hard copy QSL within a few days.

Those of you who are new to this
station let me give you a brief on who they are and what their legacy is. “Gaweylon is
a charitable society which exists for the promotion and development of
knowledge.” They include charitable, social and cultural aspects of life in their
daily programming, with moral and spiritual material based on the teachings of
the Holy Bible. They have partnered with FEBA Radio - Far East Broadcasting Corporation(source: gaweylon.com)

Currently they broadcast daily on 15215 kHz via FEBA/ FEBC hired transmitter facility in
Dhabbaya, Uinted Arab Emirates (UAE). Gaweylon has started their broadcast in 1990 and this year
they’re celebrating their 25 yrs of on-air broadcasts!

You can send your reception
reports to Gaweylon Tibetan Radio Program Broadcast >> gaweylon@gmail.com.